Tips to unwind and de-stress before bed

October 26th, 2013

To ensure you are reaping the benefits of a good night’s sleep (as discussed in our last blog), be sure to relax and unwind before bed.

With work emails, social networks and everything else the World Wide Web has to offer all available at our fingertips, it is unsurprising many of us struggle to ‘un-plug’ and unwind before bed. Many of us are caught in a trap of checking our smartphones throughout the evening and even while we’re in bed about to hit the hay.

If you are guilty of bedtime Internet browsing and are struggling to fall asleep, take a look at the following tips to de-stress before bed:

Switch off on the commute

You can start the winding down process on your way home from work. Rather than spending your commute frantically checking emails or scribbling meeting notes, this time should be spent unwinding and relaxing. This helps the working memory unload and provides a vital transition between work and home.

Avoid alcohol

After a busy day at work, you may think a couple of glasses of red are exactly what you need to wind down, but in reality this will only hinder your quality of sleep. Instead try to get some light exercise – yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi are all brilliant activities you can do to stretch your muscles and start to unwind.

Have a technology detox for an hour before bed

This means, no smartphone, no tablets and no computers! Ideally we should avoid TV before bed too. This technology-free time should be used to unload our minds of the day’s worries/stresses, helping to increase the amount of nourishing sleep we get. During this hour try meditation, or unwind in a nice bath with aromatherapy oils.

Wake up more naturally

Instead of being woken up by noisy alarms, try an alarm clock that simulates sunrise. This helps you wake up more naturally and will help to counteract the dark mornings coming our way.

There are many complementary therapies available that can help reduce stress for a better night’s sleep. To find out more, please browse our therapy topics.